Bottle-stopper.



J. & J. A. BUTKUS. BOTTLE STOPPER.

Applxcatmn lea Jau 21 1901 (No Model.)

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JOSEPH BUTKUS AND JOHN A. BUTKUS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BoTTLE-sToPPER.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 671,263, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed January 2l, 1901. serial No. 44,025. KNO model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH BUTKUS and JOHN A. BUTKUS, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain, new and useful Improvements in BottldStoppers, of which the following is a specification. l

rlhis invention is an improvement in that class of metal bottle-sig ers which are expanded to lill an aniular groove formed within the mouth of a bottle; and its object is to provide a construction of metal stopper provided with a cork sealing-collar so arranged with respect to the metallic body of the stopper that the said collar will be 'tightly wedged and compressed between the'stopperand the interior wall of the bottle-mouth above said annular groove when the metallic body is expanded into the groove, thereby closing all the pores or small cracks in the sealing-col` lar and forming a perfect seal :for the bottle.

rlhe invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts,which will be hereinafter i'ully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of a bottleneck and a transverse section of our impro ved stopper inserted loosely in the mouth thereof in readiness to be forced to its position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the stopper expanded into the annular groove in the bottle-mouth and also showinga rod in position for the removal of the stopper. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the bottle-neck and stopper expanded therein and includes a sectional side elevation of the lower portion of a tool used to compress the cork sealing-collar and to expand the metal of the stopper into the annular groove. Fig. 4L is a detail side view of the metallic stopper-body with its sealing-collar thereon in section and also a bottom plan view of the entire stopper. Fig. 5 is a detail side View and also a top plan view of the cork sealing-collar shown detached from the stopper-body. Fig. 6 is a Vertical section of a bottle-neck with a slightly-modifled form of mouth and shows our improved stopper expanded therein. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the modified form of bottleneck shown in Fig. o'.

Said rim formsa shoulder and alian'ge. The

shoulder d projects within the plane of the vertical side walls o and is crimped or doubled upon itself, andthe liange e on the outer part of the rim is bent downwardly, shown best in Figs. l and 4.

The sealing-collarf of the stopper may be of any suitable material, but is preferably `composed `of cork and is shaped on its interior to accurately fit around the exterior w ils-of the metallic stopper-body, as shown In Fig. 4\.` Said sealing-collar is fitted on said kbody with its upper edge abutting against the under side of the rim d and is there tightly clenched to the said body by the exterior downwardly-extending annular flange e. The said sealing-collar is preferably of such height that when clenched underneath the rim d the lower edge of the collar will come a little short of being llush with the bottoml b ofthe metallic stopper-ibody.

Figs. l, 2, and 3 illustrate one form of a bottle-neck A in which our improved stopper is adapted to be expanded and whose mouthrim is provided with a downwardly tapering or inclined interior wall C, below which is Aformed the annular groove h.

In practical operation the'stopper is deposited by hand or anysuitable mechanical feed ing device into the mouth of the bottle, as shown in Fig. l. A compressing and expanding tool B, such as is partly shown in Fig. 3, forces the stopper down into the bottle-mouth. The casing il of said tool presses downwardly upon the rim d, which forces the stopper-body downwardly until its metal bottom passes the annular groove 7i in the bottle, whereupon eX- panding-ngersj'of the tool are moved outwardly against the vertical wall of the stopperbody, thereby drawing or expanding the ductilemetal into said groove,which securely fastens the stopper in the bottle-mouth.

It is to be especially noted that the downward pressure exerted by the rim of the metal stopper causes the cork sealing-collar f to be wedged and compressed both laterally and The stopper is provided with a hollow cupin a vertical directionlaterally between the IOO inclined interior wall g of the bottle-mouth andthe metal stopper-wall c and vertically between the rim d, the said inclined bottlemouth wall, and stopper-wall c. The sealingcollar is thus wedged and compressed from all directions, assuming an approximate V shape in cross-section. Hence itspores or any small cracks or imperfections that may exist in the cork are eectually closed and the bottle is perfectly sealed.

The stopper may be readily removed -from the bottle by inserting the end of a nailor any suitable stiff rod, to be used as a lever underneath the inwardly-projecting shoulder d', as shown in Fig. 2and bearing down on the opposite side of the stopper as arfulcrum.

In Fig. is illustrated a slightly-moditied` form of bottle-neck A', whosemouth `is1provided with` a downwardlyinclined interior wall fm, whose lowerpart terminates in an up? wardly-piojecting annular shoulder n. V In this formof bottle mouth ,said shoulder fn serves as a seat for the sealing-collar and toA compressthe sealing-collar ina direct opposite direction to the downwardly-pressing rim d. Y

-We are aware that it is not new to expand a cup-shaped stopper of'ductile metal within an lannular groove ina bottle-mouth, such stopper being providedwith a sealing-collar, which is pressed between ,thewall ofthestopper and adjacent interior wall of the bottlel mouth; but we believe we are the first toprovide a stopper of this character which When pressed downwardly to its seat will` compress the sealing-collar'froinall directions, both laterally and vertically, and thus crowd andwith substantially vertical side walls, and' also provided at its upper end with a rim which projects within the Iplane of said vertical sidewalls whereby to form :an inward annular shoulder, d', and is then doubled upon itself and extends outwardly beyond said walls,with its extremity projecting downwardly whereby to form an annular clamping-flange; `and a sealing-collar,surrounding the side walls of said hollow body with the upper end of said collar abutting against the under side of said rim and clenched by said clamping-flange, vas set forth.

. 3. The combination of a'bottle whose mouth is provided with an inclined or tapered interior wall .and an annulargroove below said inclined .vv-all; a hollow, ductile metallic stopper-body expanded into saidgroove and provided at its upperendwith .an outwardlyextending rim; and a sealing-.collar surrounding said stopper-body .with its .upper edge ,pressed,downwardlyby theoutward ly-extend-` ingrim of the stopper-body, .and its lower edge wedged between theinclined wall of the bottle-mouth and `theside wall'of the stopper-body, wherebythe collar is ,wedged and compressed vboth vertically and laterally, as set'forth.

I 4, The combinationof abrottle whose mouth `isprovided withan-inclined ortapered interior wall-with an upwardly-projecting annular shoulder at the lower end of the latter, and alsoprovided with an annulargroove below said inclined wall; a hollowductile metallicstopper-body expanded into said groove and provided at its upper Aendwith an outwardly-.extending frim; and a ,sealing-collar wedged and compressed yvertically `between said rim and thesaidannular shoulder in the bottle-mouth and laterally betweenthe said inclined wall of the bottle-mouth and the side wall of the stopper-body, VVas ,setforth.

In testimony whereofl We affixvour signatures in thepresence of ytwo Witnesses.

JOSEPH BUT-KUS. 'JOHN A. BUTKUS. Witnesses:

F. S. S'rrr'r, CHARLES L. Viersen. 

